Consuming foods that are rich in vitamin C may help you lower your cholesterol. The effect of taking a vitamin C supplement to lower cholesterol is less clearcut, however, according to University of Maryland Medical Center. If you have high cholesterol, talk to a health care provider before you supplement with vitamin C in an attempt to treat your condition.
Diet
Numerous studies suggest that a diet high in vitamin-C containing foods is associated with a reduced risk for high cholesterol, notes UMMC. Animal studies indicate that a low vitamin C status might be involved in processes that result in increased "bad" low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, oxidation, according to the "Advanced Human Nutrition and Metabolism," by Sareen Annora Stepnick Gropper and colleagues. Also, a study published in the 1996 "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" concluded that a high intake of vitamin C from food lowers triglycerides while raising high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, which is the good cholesterol. These findings are consistent with other studies, according to lead study author A.R. Ness.
Function
While the role of vitamin C in relation to cholesterol is not well understood, the answer may lie in the fact that Vitamin C is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help combat cell-damaging free radicals. This vitamin might be able to scavenge free radicals before they reach and initiate the oxidation of bad cholesterol, Gropper noted. Laboratory studies show that LDL oxidation diminishes when vitamin C is introduced to LDL that is undergoing oxidation due to free radical action. Some animal studies also show diminished LDL levels as a result of vitamin C. For example, a 2006 study on rats published in the "Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences" concluded that administering vitamin C for 30 days leads to a significant decrease in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. The vitamin C did not affect HDL cholesterol levels or triglycerides, study author M.U. Eteng noted.
Supplementation
There's still no evidence that vitamin C supplements will help people lower high cholesterol. If your vitamin C status is too low to begin with, supplements may help improve your overall cholesterol balance, say Alan H. Pressman and Sheila Buff, authors of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vitamins and Minerals." However, if your vitamin C level already is high, taking more is unlikely to be the answer to altering your cholesterol profile.
Expert Insight
Popping vitamin C supplements may seem like an attractive way to lower cholesterol, but a healthy diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and rich in fiber coupled with an exercise regimen is the tried-and-true method for lowering cholesterol. Many vitamin C-rich foods such as citrus fruits, broccoli, strawberries and bell peppers also are rich in cholesterol-fighting fiber. Aim for three to five servings of vegetables, four to five servings of fruit, six to eight servings of whole grains, 3 to 6 oz. of lean meat, 2 to 3 tbsp. of unsaturated fats, and two to three servings low-fat or fat-free dairy daily. Include three to five servings of nuts and legumes and two servings of fatty fish like salmon weekly for an optimal cholesterol-lowering diet. If you are overweight, shedding excess pounds also helps improve your cholesterol status.
References
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Vitamin C Status and Serum Lipids; A.R. Ness, et al.; 1996
- "Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences"; Effect of Vitamin C on Serum Lipids and Electrolyte Profile of Albino Wistar Rats; M.U. Eteng, et al.; 2006
- "Annals of Epidemiology"; Effect of Vitamin C Supplementation on Lipoprotein Cholesterol, Apolipoprotein, and Triglyceride Concentrations; P.F. Jacques, et al.; 1995
- "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vitamins and Minerals"; Alan H. Pressman and Sheila Buff; 2007
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin C
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Serum Antioxidant Status Is Associated with Metabolic Syndrome among U.S. Adults in Recent National Surveys; M.A. Beydoun, et al.; 2011
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